University of duhok

College of engineering
Surveying department
First stage

Report
On
(Climate change)

Submitted
By
Dilan Arif Qasim

Report assignment
December 19 , 2019
Content

1. Introduction
2. History of climate change
3. Future of climate change
4. Causes of climate change
5. Green house gases
6. Human causes of climate change
7. Green house gases production
8. Natural causes of climate change
9. Impacts of climate change
10. Solution of climate change
11. Conclusion
12. Refrences
1.0 introduction

Climate change is the rise in average surface temperatures

on Earth, mostly due to the burning of fossil fuels. Climate
change, also called global warming, refers to the rise in
average surface temperatures on Earth. An overwhelming
scientific consensus maintains that climate change is due
primarily to the human use of fossil fuels, which releases
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the air. The
gases trap heat within the atmosphere, which can have a
range of effects on ecosystems, including rising sea levels,
severe weather events, and droughts that render landscapes
more susceptible to wildfires. Climate change occurs when
changes in Earth's climate system result in new weather
patterns that remain in place for an extended period of time.
This length of time can be as short as a few decades to as
long as millions Scientists have identified many of years.
episodes of climate change during Earth's geological history;
more recently since the industrial revolution the climate has
increasingly been affected by human activities driving global
warming," and the terms are commonly used interchangeably
in that context.
1.1 history of climate change

Climate change is the long-term alteration in Earth's climate

and weather patterns. It took nearly a century of research and
data to convince the vast majority of the scientific community
that human activity could alter the climate of our entire planet.
In the 1800s, experiments suggesting that human- produced
carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases could collect in the
atmosphere and insulate Earth were met with more curiosity
than concern. By the late 1950s, CO2 readings would offer
some of the first data to corroborate the global warming
theory. Eventually an abundance of data, along with climate
modeling would show not only that global warming was real. In
the 1800s, experiments suggesting that human- produced
carbon dioxide (C02) and other gases could collect in the
atmosphere and insulate Earth were met with more curiosity
than concern. By the late 1950s, CO2 readings would offer
some of the first data to corroborate the global warming
theory. Eventually an abundance of data, along with climate
modeling would show not only that global warming was real,
but that it also presented a host of dire consequences.
1.2 Future of climate change

Scientists have made major advances in the observations,

theory, and modelling of Earth's climate system; and these
advances have enabled them to project future climate change
with increasing confidence. Nevertheless, several major
issues make it impossible to give precise estimates of how
global or regional temperature trends will evolve decade by
decade into the future. Firstly, we cannot predict how much
CO, human activities will emit, as this depends on factors such
as how the global economy develops and how society's
production and consumption of energy changes in the coming
decades.Secondly, with current understanding of the
complexities of how climate feedbacks operate, there is a
range of possible outcomes, even for a particular scenario of
CO, emissions.Finally, over timescales of a decade or so,
natural variability can modulate the effects of an underlying
trend in temperature. Taken together, all model projections
indicate that Earth will continue to warm considerably more
over the next few decades to centuries. If there were no
technological or policy changes to reduce emission trends
from their current trajectory, then further warming of 2.6 to 4.8
°C (4.7 to &6 "F) in addition to that which has already occurred
would be expected during the 21" century |FIGURE BSJ.
Projecting what those ranges will mean for the climate
experienced at any particular location is a challenging
scientific problem, but estimates are continuing to improve as
regional and local-scale models advance. .
2.0 causes of climate change
2.1 green house gases

Greenhouse gases and the greenhouse effect Some gases in

the Earth's atmosphere trap heat and stop it escaping into
space. We call these 'greenhouse gases'. These gases act as
a warming blanket around the Earth, known as the
'greenhouse effect'. Greenhouse gases come from both
human and natural sources. Gases like carbon dioxide,
methane, and nitrous oxide naturally occur in the atmosphere.
Others, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCS), are only
produced by human activity. When short-wave radiation from
the sun reaches Earth, most of it passes straight through and
hits the surface. The Earth absorbs most of this radiation and
gives off longer-wavelength infrared radiation.

2.2Human cause of climate change

Humans cause climate change by releasing carbon dioxide

and other greenhouse gases into the air. Today, there is more
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere than there ever has been
in at least the past 800,000 years. During the 20th and 21st
century, the level of carbon dioxide rose by 40%.

2.3 We produce greenhouse gases in lots of different

ways:
 Burning fossil fuels – Fossil fuels such as oil, gas, and
coal contain carbon dioxide that has been 'locked away'
in the ground for thousands of years. When we take
these out of the land and burn them, we release the
stored carbon dioxide into the air.
 Deforestation – Forests remove and store carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere. Cutting them down means
that carbon dioxide builds up quicker since there are no
 trees to absorb it. Not only that, trees release the carbon
they stored when we burn them
 Agriculture – Planting crops and rearing animals
releases many different types of greenhouse gases into
the air. For example, animals produce methane, which is
30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide as a
greenhouse gas. The nitrous oxide used for fertilizers is
ten times worse and is nearly 300 times more potent
than carbon dioxide! Cement – Producing cement is
another contributor to climate change, causing 2% of our
entire carbon dioxide emissions.

2.4 natural causes of climate change

The leading cause of climate change is human activity and

the release of greenhouse gases. However, there are lots of
natural causes that also lead to changes in the climate
system. Natural cycles can cause the climate to alternate
between warming and cooling. There are also natural factors
that force the climate to change, known as 'forcings'. Even
though these natural causes contribute to climate change, we
know that they are not the primary cause, based on scientific
evidence. Some of these natural cycles include:
• Milankovitch cycles – As Earth travels around the sun, its
path and the tilt of its axis can change slightly. These
changes, called Milankovitch cycles, affect the amount of
sunlight that falls on Earth. This can cause the temperature of
Earth to change. However, these cycles take place over tens
or hundreds of thousands of years and are unlikely to cause
climate change
• El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) – ENSO is a pattern of
changing water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. In an 'El
Niño' year, the global temperature warms up, and in a 'La
Niña' year, it cools down. These patterns can affect the global
temperature for a short amount of time (months or years) but
cannot explain the persistent warming that we see today.
Natural forcings that can contribute to climate change include::
• Solar irradiance – Changing energy from the sun has
affected the temperature of Earth in the past. However, we
have not seen anything strong enough to change our climate.
Any increase in solar energy would make the entire
atmosphere of Earth warm, but we can only see warming in
the bottom layer. • Volcanic eruptions – Volcanoes have a
mixed effect on our climate. Eruptions produce aerosol
particles that cool Earth, but they also release carbon dioxide,
which warms it. Volcanoes produce 50 times less carbon
dioxide than humans do, so we know they are not the leading
cause of global warming. On top of this, cooling is the
dominant effect of volcanic eruptions, not warming.
3.0 impacts of climate change

Impacts from climate change are happening now. These

impacts extend well beyond an increase in temperature,
affecting ecosystems and communities in the United States
and around the world. Things that we depend upon and value
– water, energy, transportation, wildlife, agriculture,
ecosystems, and human health – are experiencing the effects
of a changing climate.

Water :Changes to water resources can have a big impact on

people's lives. In some regions, particularly in the western
United States, drought is an important factor affecting
communities. Less snow accumulation in the mountains is
important in the West and Alaska, where the snowpack stores
water for later use. In the Midwest and northeastern states,
the frequency of heavy downpours has increased. In many
regions, floods and water quality problems are likely to be
worse because of climate change.
Food :Our food supply depends on climate and weather
conditions. Although agricultural practices may be adaptable,
changes like increased temperatures, water stress, diseases,
and weather extremes create challenges for the farmers and
ranchers who put food on our tables. Health :Human health is
vulnerable to climate change. The changing environment is
expected to cause more heat stress, an increase in
waterborne diseases, poor air quality, and diseases
transmitted by insects and rodents. Extreme events can
compound many of these health threats.
Environment:
The environment Ecosystems are also affected by climate
change. Habitats are being modified, the timing of events such
as flowering and egg laying are shifting, and species are
altering their home ranges. Changes are also occurring to the
ocean. The ocean absorbs about 30% of the carbon dioxide
that is released into the atmosphere from the burning of fossil
fuels. As a result, the ocean is becoming more acidic, affecting
marine life. Rising sea levels due to thermal expansion and
melting land ice sheets and glaciers put coastal areas at
greater risk of erosion and storm surge.

Global warming, the phenomenon of increasing average air

temperatures near the surface of Earth over the past one to
two centuries. Climate scientists have since the mid-20th
century gathered detailed observations of various weather
phenomena (such as temperatures, precipitation, and storms)
and of related influences on climate (such as ocean currents
and the atmosphere's chemical composition). These data
indicate that Earth's climate has changed over almost every
conceivable timescale since the beginning of geologic time
and that the influence of human activities since at least the
beginning of the Industrial Revolution has been deeply woven
into the very fabric of climate change.
4.0 solutions of climate change

Forego Fossil Fuels-The first challenge is eliminating the

burning of coal, oil and, eventually, natural gas. This is
perhaps the most daunting challenge as denizens of richer
nations literally eat, wear, work, play and even sleep on the
products made from such fossilized sunshine. And citizens of
developing nations want and arguably deserve the same
comforts, which are largely thanks to the energy stored in
such fuels. Oil is the lubricant of the global economy, hidden
inside such ubiquitous items as plastic and corn, and
fundamental to the transportation of both consumers and
goods. Coal is the substrate, supplying Oil is the lubricant of
the global economy, hidden inside such ubiquitous items as
plastic and corn, and fundamental to the transportation of both
consumers and goods. Coal is the substrate, supplying
roughly half of the electricity used in the U.S. and nearly that
much worldwide-a percentage that is likely to grow, according
to the International Energy Agency. There are no perfect
solutions for reducing dependence on fossil fuels (for
example, carbon neutral biofuels can drive up the price of food
and lead to forest destruction, and while nuclear power does
not emit greenhouse gases, it does produce radioactive
waste), but every bit counts.

Experiment Earth-Climate change represents humanity's first

planetwide experiment. But, if all else fails, it may not be the
last. So-called geoengineering, radical interventions to either
block sunlight or reduce greenhouse gases, is a potential last
resort for addressing the challenge of climate change.
Stop Cutting Down Trees–Every year, 33 million acres of
forests are cut down. Timber harvesting in the tropics alone
contributes 1.5 billion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere.
That represents 20 percent of human-made greenhouse gas
emissions and a source that could be avoided relatively easily.
Improved agricultural practices along with paper recycling and
forest management-balancing the amount of wood taken out
with the amount of new trees growing-could quickly eliminate
this significant chunk of emissions.
Conclusion

 Human-induced climate change has contributed to changing

patterns of extreme weather across the globe, from longer and
hotter heat waves to heavier rains. From a broad perspective,
all weather events are now connected to climate change.
While natural variability continues to play a key role in extreme
weather, climate change has shifted the odds and changed
the natural limits, making certain types of extreme weather
more frequent and more intense. While our understanding of
how climate change affects extreme weather is still
developing, evidence suggests that extreme weather may be
affected even more than anticipated. Extreme weather is on
the rise, and the indications are that it will continue to
increase, in both predictable and unpredictable ways.
Refrence

https://www.climatecommunication.org/new/features/extreme-
weather/conclusion/

http://www.takepart.com/flashcards/what-is-climate-
change/index.html

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_warming

https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate-
education-resources/climate-change-impacts

https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/climate-change/causes-of-
climate-change